Teaching and Learning About Aging
This bibliography provides references on aging, teaching about aging, organizations related to aging, resources for graduate-level education in gerontology, and online resources for aging education.
Resources About Aging for Educators
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Office of Academic Resources
http://www.aarp.org/research/aa/resources/
Multimedia guide for teaching about changing images of aging, resources for teaching about social security, lists of books about baby boomers and social security.
APA Committee on Aging
http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/cona01.html
APA Office on Aging
- Discover the answers... Be a part of the solution... Geropsychology: It’s YOUR future! (poster)
- Geropsychology: It’s YOUR future! (Student fact sheet)
- Psychology and Aging: Addressing mental health needs of older adults (8-page brochure)
- Life Plan for the Life Span (32-page brochure)
APA Division 20 - Psychology of Adult Development and Aging
Scroll down to “Educator Resources” to find:
- Course syllabi: sections include undergraduate courses, graduate courses
- Undergraduate textbooks: sections include introductory (psychology focus, sociology focus, advanced), cognition, diversity, family gerontology, friendship and social networks, gender, mental health, research methods, social psychology, exercise/workbooks/trade books/clinical guides
- Educational videos: sections include general aging, biology, caregiving/care options, cultural diversity, death and dying, elder abuse, health/mental health/medical issues, intergenerational issues, work/retirement, Alzheimer’s disease/Parkinson’s disease, video respite for persons with dementia
- Cinema of aging: annotated listing of many classic and contemporary films
Association for Gerontology in Higher Education
- K–12 book list: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=8203
Annotated, illustrated list of many books for children and youth
- Directory of Educational Programs in Gerontology and Geriatrics: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=7962
Describes more than 750 gerontology programs (credit and postdoctoral) at institutions of higher education in the United States and select foreign countries.
- Curriculum Development: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=7963
Offers collections of syllabi for courses in aging.
- Brief Bibliography Series: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=8076
Annotated bibliographies highlighting the best-quality education and training materials for gerontology instruction in 36 subject areas in the health and social sciences.
- Faculty Development: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=7964
Two manuals are offered; published under one cover.
- Program Development: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=7965
Guides for developing gerontology programs.
- Careers in Aging: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=7971
Materials suitable for vocational and career counseling are available. Many resources on career opportunities, selecting educational programs, locating jobs, etc.
- Consultation Program: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=7967
Developed to assist community and four-year colleges and universities in developing new gerontology instruction and in expanding or evaluating existing gerontology programs. The consultation program links an institution with a consultant who will objectively evaluate the proposed or existing program, pinpoint problems, and help identify solutions. The consultant can also provide unbiased verification of the need for change in gerontology instruction and justification for institutional proposals for modifying current offerings in aging
- Intergenerational Service-Learning: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=7968
Video tapes and other materials illustrating the work done on the Intergenerational Service-Learning in Gerontology project.
- Funding Opportunities: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=7969
A report challenging grantmaking foundations to increase their commitment to aging education and training and identifying priorities that grantmaking foundations should address.
- Beverly Lecture Series: http://www.aghe.org/site/aghewebsite/content.php?type=1&id=7970
The Beverly Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, Funded by Beverly Enterprises of Fort Smith, Arkansas, is presented each year at the AGHE Annual Meeting. Lectures available for members online. Print copies of previous lectures available.
- Student Outcomes: http://www.aghe.org/php/content.php?type=1&id=7966
The AGHE Research Committee has prepared this standardized survey instrument for graduates of gerontology/aging studies programs to encourage gerontology programs to collect data on their graduates for their own use.
- Public Policy: http://www.aghe.org/php/content.php?type=1&id=8119
The information in the articles is easy to read and can be used for a wide variety of courses from introductory gerontology to graduate school policy courses. The articles in this publication are relevant to Public Policy and Aging and Social Policy and Aging courses. Figures from articles are stored on an accompanying CD-Rom.
Ault, R. L. (Ed.). (1999). Faculty forum special section: Adult development and aging. Teaching of Psychology, 26, 48–57.
Includes 5 articles that provide practical information and instructor and student resources:
- Whitbourne, S. K. (1999). Employing interactive learning methods in a course on the psychology of aging. Teaching of Psychology, 26, 48–49.
- Blieszner, R. (1999). Strategies and resources for teaching family gerontology. Teaching of Psychology, 26, 50–51.
- Cavanaugh, J. C. (1999). Integrating the humanities into a liberal arts course on adult development and aging. Teaching of Psychology, 26, 51–52.
- McGuire, L. C., & Zwahr, M. D. (1999). Tying it together: Two comprehensive projects for adult development and aging courses. Teaching of Psychology, 26, 53–55.
- Fingerman, K. L., & Bertrand, R. (1999). Approaches to teaching adult development and aging within a life span development course. Teaching of Psychology, 26, 55–57.
Blieszner, R., & Artale, L. (2001). Benefits of intergenerational service-learning to human services majors. Educational Gerontology, 27, 71–87.
Examined the effects of service-learning on personal and social values and civic attitudes about volunteerism in undergraduate gerontology students. Students reported that service-learning improved understanding of course concepts, dispelled myths about aging, and reinforced career choices. The primary disadvantage cited by students was the time commitment involved in participating in service-learning. Students believed they learned more in a course based on service-learning than in a traditional lecture-based course.
Fried, S. B., & Mehrotra, C. M. (1998). Aging and diversity: An active learning experience. Washington, DC: Taylor and Francis.
Textbook that includes classroom exercises and activities to promote learning about the diversity of aging experience. Topics include introductory overview, psychology of aging, health and sexuality, caregiving, work and retirement, religion and spirituality, and death/dying/and grieving.
Fried, S., Van Booven, D., & MacQuarrie, C. (1993). Older adulthood: Learning activities for understanding aging. Baltimore, MD: Health Professions Press.
Student workbook with classroom exercises and activities covering perceptions of aging, stereotyping and ageism, physical aging, psychological aging, sexuality, family issues, maximizing late-life choices, relocation to long-term care facilities, death and dying, and professional caregivers.
Generations
ttp://www.asaging.org/publications/Generations.cfm
Journal of the American Society on Aging. 3 issues/year, thematic issues, short overview articles suitable for educators and students.
Gerontology & Geriatrics Education
http://www.haworthpressinc.com
Official journal of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. 8 issues/year, published by The Haworth Press, Inc.
Herdt, G., & de Vries, B. (Eds.). (2004). Gay and lesbian aging: Research and future directions. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
The 10 chapters in this book cover a range of topics, including health, psychological well-being, relationships, and loneliness among older gay and lesbian persons, as well as research issues in the study of this population of elders. A chapter on older gay men in Norway brings a cross-national perspective to the book.
Hinrichsen, G. A. (2006). Why multicultural issues matter for practitioners working with older adults. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 37(1), 29–35.
This article discusses issues for aging individuals from ethnic minority groups along with clinical examples and illustrations of issues faced in cross cultural encounters including those with service providers.
Jarrott, S. E., & Blieszner, R. (2001). Creating families in the classroom: An active learning approach. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, 22, 15–27.
Provides information on small-group activities for learning about aging. The exercises engage students in active learning and give them insight and appreciation for "real life" issues that relate course material to family and professional situations.
Kimmel, D., Rose, T., & David, S. (Eds). (2006). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging: Research and clinical perspectives. New York: Columbia University Press.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Aging brings together cutting-edge research, practical information, and innovative thinking regarding the characteristics and processes of aging among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Written by experts in the field, the book covers a range of subjects and provides a comprehensive knowledge base for practitioners, students, and researchers.
Nelson, T. D. (2005). Ageism [Special issue]. The Journal of Social Issues, 61(2).
Provides an overview of recent social psychological research on prejudice against older adults. Sections include the Foundations of Ageism, Experiencing Ageism, and Theoretical Perspectives on Ageism
Remnet, V. L. (1989). Understanding older adults: An experiential approach to learning. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
This workbook contains classroom exercises related to perceptions of aging, physical aging, environmental changes, and psychosocial considerations.
Rimkus, A., & Melinchok, M. D. (Eds.). (2005). Thesaurus of aging terminology (8th ed.). Washington, DC: AARP AgeLine Database.
Provides the vocabulary of subject terms used to index journal articles, books, book chapters, videos, and dissertations cited in the AgeLine Database, an online bibliographic database produced by AARP and available at www.aarp.org/ageline.
Trimble, J. E., Stevenson, M. R., & Worell, J. P. (2004). Toward an inclusive psychology: Infusing the introductory psychology textbook with diversity content. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Guidelines written for teachers, textbook authors, and publishers about incorporating multicultural diversity into psychology teaching and research. Includes suggestions for aging, culture/ethnicity/race, disability, gender, and sexual orientation when teaching about 20 different psychology topics.
Whitbourne, S. K., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (Eds.). (2003). Integrating aging topics into psychology: A practical guide for teaching undergraduates. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Includes 15 chapters with background information on aging and guidelines for content and teaching methods, class exercises, supplementary resources, and an annotated bibliography. Content covers an overview of issues related to incorporating aging into psychology courses and specific suggestions for courses on: neuropsychology, experimental psychology and statistics, sensation and perception, personality, social psychology, health psychology, abnormal psychology, gender, life span development, industrial/organizational psychology, psychology of death and dying, and personal relationships.
Resources for Graduate Education in Gerontology
The Handbooks of Aging
These three handbooks contain cutting-edge review chapters on the most important topics in gerontology. Suitable for background reading for graduate students and researchers.
- Binstock, R. H., & George, L. K. (Eds.). (2006). Handbook of aging and the social sciences (6th ed.). London: Elsevier Academic Press.
- Birren, J. E., & Schaie, K. W. (Eds.). (2006). Handbook of the psychology of aging (6th ed.). London: Elsevier Academic Press.
- Masoro, E. J., & Austed, S. N. (Eds.). (2006). Handbook of the biology of aging (6th ed.). London: Elsevier Academic Press.
American Psychological Association. (2004). Guidelines for psychological practice with older adults. American Psychologist, 59, 236–260.
Provides information about clinical practice with older adults.
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Section 2.17, (p. 69) offers guidelines on avoiding age bias in writing.
Blieszner, R., & Bedford, V. H. (Eds.). (1995). Handbook of aging and the family. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. [Republished (1996), Aging and the family: Theory and research. Westport, CT: Praeger. ]
Contains 23 review chapters by experts in family and aging. Topics cover conceptual, historical, and demographic background on family issues; theory and research methods; feminist, rural, and multi-cultural matters; specific relationships such as marital and marital-like, siblings, parent–child, and grandparent–grandchild; policy and legal issues; illness and retirement; widowhood and bereavement; and interventions with elders and their families.
Calasanti, T. M., & Slevin, K. F., (2001). Gender, social inequalities, and aging. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.
Written by sociologists, this book takes a feminist perspective on old age as a political location. It focuses on gender, aging, and social power, placing old persons within the intersections of other stratifying social identities. The authors also present a major critical analysis of ageism.
Committee on Women in Psychology and APA Commission on Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention, and Training in Psychology (1998). Surviving and thriving in academia: A guide for women and ethnic minorities. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
This brochure is useful for graduate students and new faculty who want to pursue academic jobs. It contains basic, helpful information about the job interview process, teaching, research, working towards tenure, and interacting effectively with colleagues.
Council of the National Psychological Associations for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Interests. (2000). Guidelines for research in ethnic minority communities. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Provides guidelines on recruiting members of ethnic minority groups into research projects and conducting research with them.
Johnson, M. L. (Ed.). (2005). The Cambridge handbook of age and ageing. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Comprehensive (72 chapters) edited volume covering many topics in aging, including international/global perspectives, cross-cultural understandings of physical health and cross-cultural images of aging, elder abuse, ageism, gay and lesbian elders, and policy issues.
Lachman, M. E. (Ed.). (2001). Handbook of midlife development. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Contains 16 review chapters addressing middle age, including cross-cultural perspectives.
Research Methods in Gerontology
- See textbooks under “Research Methods” at http://apadiv20.phhp.ufl.edu/txtbk.doc
- Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research, Measurement and Methods Core (annotated bibliography): http://www.rcmar.ucla.edu/measurement.php
Schaie, K. W. (1993). Ageist language in psychological research. American Psychologist, 48, 49–51.
Brief guide to avoiding ageist language in professional writing.
Online Resources in Gerontology
AgeLine Database
www.aarp.org/ageline or www.aarp.org/research/ageline
Abstracts of social gerontology and aging-related articles, books, and reports.
American Society on Aging Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network
Centers on the Demography of Minority Aging
- The Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging (SIRA) http://sira.ucsd.edu/
Government Resources on Aging
- Administration on Aging http://www.aoa.gov/
- Agency for Health Care Policy and Research http://www.ahrq.gov/
- National Center for Health Statistics http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
- National Institute on Aging http://www.nih.gov/nia/
- U.S. Census Bureau, International Programs Center http://www.census.gov/ftp/pub/ipc/www
- World Health Organization http://www.who.int/en/
- National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACDA/index.html
National Institute on Aging Centers on the Demography of Aging
- Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging (CEDA): University of California at Berkeley http://www.ceda.berkeley.edu/
- Center on Demographics and Economics of Aging (CoA), University of Chicago http://www.spc.uchicago.edu/coa/
- The Center for Health and Wellbeing: Princeton University http://www.princeton.edu/chw/
- Center on Population Health and Aging (CPHA): Penn State University http://www.pop.psu.edu/cpha/
- The Demography and Economics of Aging Research (DEAR): University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://www.cpc.unc.edu/dear/
- The Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging (MiCDA): University of Michigan http://micda.psc.isr.umich.edu/
- The National Bureau of Economic Research Center for Aging Research (NBER) http://www.nber.org/aging.html
- The Population Aging Research Center (PARC), University of Pennsylvania http://www.pop.upenn.edu/rc/parc/aging.html
- RAND Center for the Study of Aging http://www.rand.org/centers/aging/
- Center on the Demography and Economics of Health and Aging(CDEHA): Standford University http://healthpolicy.stanford.edu/CDEHA/
- Center on Biodemography and Population Health (BPH): USC/UCLA http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/CBPH/
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging: University of Wisconsin http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/cdha/
- The Program on the Global Demography of Aging (PGDA): Harvard University http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/pgda/
National Institute on Aging Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research
- Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research (MCUAAAR) http://mcuaaar.iog.wayne.edu/
- The Center for Aging and Diversity. University of North Carolina http://www.aging.unc.edu/ca
- Columbia Center for Active Life of Minority Elders, Columbia University http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/calme/
- Native Elder Health Care Research Center, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center http://aianp.uchsc.edu/nehcrc/
- Resource Center for Minority Aging Research http://www.rcmar.ucla.edu/
- Center for Aging in Diverse Communities, University of California, San Francisco http://dgim.ucsf.edu/cadc/
- United Nations Programme on Ageing: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/

